I am very happy to welcome all of you to West Hartford Youth Soccer Association’s (WHYSA) 2017 Fall Season. Once again, we have a full program with many children registered to play. We look forward to providing a great experience for the children in the Club. WHYSA strives to provide an age-appropriate soccer-playing environment for all children in the Club that accommodates each child’s ability and desire to play at various levels of competition.

Accordingly, WHYSA offers a vibrant co-ed youth recreational soccer program in four age-appropriate divisions: Training (U8), Mites (U10), Juniors (U12), & Seniors ( U15); and a highly successful & competitive Travel program with 15 teams in six Fall age groups U9, U10, U11, U12, U13, & U14 (ten age groups in the spring season) as well as a U8 Pre-Travel Program. It is important to remember that in youth soccer we coach children, not “players.” Therefore, appropriate decorum for all children, parents, spectators, coaches, officials, and Club Administrators/ Board Members is expected at all times. Please take the time to review WHYSA’s Code of Conduct on the website, which you can access with this link: http://whysa.org/Page.asp?n=64198&org=WHYSA.ORG.

The Club is now into its second season with a change to the Board’s leadership including my role as the Club’s President. Additionally, you see will many other changes this season. Most markedly is a change to field size and the number of children playing per side during the U12 and below divisions. While WHYSA was a leader in implementing Small-Sided Soccer back in 2004, the Club has adopted the new field size and child per side Guidelines of our parent organizations: the Connecticut Junior Soccer Association (“CJSA”) and USYOUTH SOCCER. For more information, please consult your child’s Division Profile, Division Coordinator, or Coach.

The goal of the Club’s Recreational program is to provide an opportunity for the participants to have fun, learn the sport, and develop life skills including a life-long love of the game and athletic involvement. Our mission is to enhance all participants’ enjoyment of their soccer experience while developing each child’s soccer skills and technique. While remaining focused on technique, we introduce tactics in the Junior Division and increase tactical focus in the Senior Division.

The goal of Club’s Travel program is to provide a more competitive playing opportunity for the more skilled children who are enthusiastic about the game, want to develop skills to a higher level, want to play with other players of a similar skill, and want to have fun while doing so with paid - certified/licensed coaches. The program is aimed at the achievement of excellence, toward everyone playing their best, and further developing an appreciation for competition and sportsmanship.

Overall, the Club is an integrated association that emphasizes fun, fair play, skill development, teamwork, and sportsmanship. WHYSA is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that organizes Recreational and Travel soccer programs for children in West Hartford, Connecticut. The Club views West Hartford’s children as our number one constituency and remains thankful for all of our Coach and Board volunteers for their hard work in making WHYSA a successful Club for all of its members: children, coaches, parents/guardians, and referee officials.